Baking & Snack - April 2009 - 53

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offer a more narrow range of performance, limiting
their applications. As a result, bakeries find it necessary to increase the number of shortenings used to
maintain production of their full line of products.
Bakeries also face a challenge when product testing
shows flavor differences between products made with
new and old shortening formulations. In the past, the
industry ideal for taste testing was to demonstrate no
difference between test and control products. Now, food
scientists seek a match or a win on overall product preference, not necessarily an exact match in flavor profile.
The techniques used to make these shortenings
include blending, interesterification and reduced
hydrogenation. The starting materials include
commodity oils, trait-enhanced oils, solid and liquid
components from fractionated oils and fully hydrogenated oils. The oil refining industry uses all of these
techniques and materials to replace trans fat in shortenings, but keeping pace with the growing demand
from bakeries is a significant challenge.
Trait-enhanced soybean oils offer the best opportunity for increasing production of shortenings with 0 g
trans fat per serving to meet the growing needs of the
baking industry. Baked food manufacturers interested
in testing the enhanced-trait oils should communicate
interest to oil suppliers now because quantities will be
limited during the first few years of production.
The first to emerge from the research pipeline, lowlinolenic soybean oil, is an effective option for many
snack food applications. Many in the baking industry,
however, are eagerly anticipating the commercialization of increased oleic soybean oils, including highand mid-oleic varieties, which will more effectively
address the specific functionality requirements of
baked food applications.
HIGH-OLEIC/LOW-LINOLENIC. High-oleic soybean
oil will contain more than 70% oleic acid. It also has
decreased levels of linolenic and linoleic acids, increasing the oil's oxidative stability. Testing conducted at Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Johnston, IA,
showed high-oleic oil to be as stable as commonly used
partially hydrogenated oils. Additionally, high-oleic
soybean oil will contain a lower total saturated fat
content than commodity soybean oil.
High-oleic soybean oil's superior resistance to flavor
breakdown will make it an attractive option for snack
food applications, especially those requiring high-heat
processing. Breads, cakes, muffins and pizza dough
will also benefit from this oil.
Researchers at Pioneer, a division of DuPont, have
developed the first high-oleic soybean oil expected to
become commercially available. TREUS brand higholeic soybean oil will be marketed through the Bunge

BAKING & SNACK / April 2009

ᮡ Trait-enhanced soybean oils offer the best opportunity for increasing
production of shortenings with 0 g trans fat per serving to meet the growing
needs of the baking industry.
UNITED SOYBEAN BOARD

DuPont Biotech Alliance, which also markets TREUS
low-linolenic soybean oil. Testing samples are expected
to be available in late 2009 with full commercial introduction likely in 2010, pending regulatory approvals.
MID-OLEIC/LOW-LINOLENIC. Soybean oil with
increased oleic acid in combination with decreased
linolenic acid offers dramatically improved oxidative
stability compared with regular commodity oil. Midoleic/low-linolenic soybean oil will offer bakeries a
spray oil for crackers, a coating oil for baked foods and
a blending component for formulating numerous types
of margarines and shortenings. Using this oil in combination with interesterification will expand options for
making shortening with 0 g trans fat per serving.
Asoyia's Mid-Oleic Ultra Low Lin Oil (Asoyia-MO)

Baking & Snack - April 2009

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